Scrutineering, whats it all about?

The week of Le Mans kicks off on Sunday 11th and Monday 12th of June with scrutineering and administrative checks or "Pesage" in the traditional location of the Place de la République in the town centre of Le Mans. All 60 cars and 180 drivers must attend to be able to race and this gives the fans and passers by a great opportunity to see them up close.

Image, ACO

So what goes on?

There are 3 "posts" which are basically big white tents through which the cars pass through on their journey, first up is the overall dimensions of each car, now-a-days this is done via 3D scanner but in the past giant templates were presented to the car to ensure they matched the dimensions laid out in the technical regulations.

Next up the car is put up onto ramps to check the underside of the car for conformity, at the same time the cars are also weighed and checked with lasers!

The final step in the journey that is Pesage is into the final tent where the external body work is removed to allow inspection of the safety systems, wiring, fuel tank and if required the hybrid system. Also at this stage the "black box" is checked which tells the drivers directly from Race Control about any slow zones, flags etc. The data acquisition system is also checked at this stage along with data loggers, transponders and finally decals..... yes even the stickers are checked! In all this process takes around 50 minutes per car to complete.

And the drivers?

All the drivers have to be checked prior to being able to race. First up they must present their current race licence to the scrutineer - our editor Anna is well versed in this as she has checked the licences of drivers such as Johnny Herbert, Damon Hill and Jan Magnussen. Next up their fireproof racing suits are checked along with helmets and Hans devices are checked for conformity to the current FIA regulations.

Image, Porsche Motorsport

Family photos!

Finally, once all these checks are complete there is the opportunity for a 'family photo' for all the teams and drivers in the square, most drivers will spend a little time chatting to fans and signing autographs.

So if you are able to make it to the Place de la République in the next 2 days you may find yourself face to face with the winning drivers of the 85th Le Mans 24 Heures!